The Deathsman
by March and September
Summary: They had to run away when Roma died. He thought fear was over. But there's nothing more instable and horrifying than making deals with a sketchy landowner and balancing your life on organized crime. Your morals are thrown in front of you, especially when you're face to face with the Deathsman. Other Genres: Romance, Adventure, Crime. Warning: rape, substance abuse, etc.
1. He's Not Heavy

The boy dragged his feet down the dirt path. Debris floating into the air with each heavy step.

He tried to avoid licking his lips, because his grandpapa Roma had told him that made lips crack more.

He squinted his eyes, but all he could see was more and more of the path. No town was in sight.

He wasn't very scared of the new town and new people he'd eventually meet, like his brother was. He actually wished that they were at a town already. He was scared of the setting sun.

"Brother," his sibling whimpered from behind him. "What's this new town gon' be like?"

Round amber eyes dolefully stared at him. Baby-fat cheeks turned pink. Grandpapa Roma had always told him that his little brother's cheeks were meant for pinching.

He took the smaller, pudgy hand into his. "I don't know,_ il mio poca bacio." _

The tiny, auburn haired seven year-old smiled. "Do you think they'll be nice there? Not like…." The younger brother's sparkling eyes glanced at him, and he questioned whether or not to finish his sentence. "…Like at home?"

"No, no."

The deeper the sun sunk, the harder the elder's heart beat. He wanted to quiver and hide behind someone, but there was no one to hide behind.

He knew that once the sun set that he'd be glancing over his shoulder for monsters. He knew they didn't exist, but he couldn't help his fear.

He did know that bad men existed, though. Even though he was only nine, his grandpapa had constantly warned the brothers about bad men. They'd kidnap you and rape you and kill you.

The older shuttered. He would have no leverage in that situation. He had no money to offer.

He looked down at his brother, who had sleepy eyes. He couldn't let anything happen to his little brother. That youngling was his main concern.

"Romano…" The little boy murmured his nickname and flustered.

"Yes? What is it?"

The little one didn't reply, but his steps became messy.

"What is it?"

"Would it be a problem…" he whispered, "Would it be a problem to carry me? 'Sleepy…"

The older smiled. He reached down and the little one wrapped his arms around his neck. It was a practiced position.

He tightly held onto the little one's side, and stuck out his hip, so the younger wouldn't slide off.

As they walked, his arms got weary and wearier.

His lower back became sore, then sorer.

It was no burden though; it was his boy.

The sun left him, and night surrounded him. It cornered them.

He felt desperate. Only if he was allowed to know how far away the nearest town was!

He snuggled his brother closer, their heartbeats synthesized.

This was a technique that always helped the elder's anxiety.

His tiny breaths and palpitations weaved with his and finally matched.

He settled into the dark night, and walked slower to relax his aching muscles.

His brother's small fingers softly gripped his neck, then released, and then gripped again.

He felt the eternal happiness from having his brother. It was a bond that he couldn't have with anyone else. He felt sadness and appall for the one's who would never have a family like his. His brother and him was all the family he would ever need.

A giant white cross was in the sky. The child was confused for a moment, but then smiled as realization dawned on him.

_A town! _

He wanted to run, but his brother's weight prevented him.

He lumbered slowly, exhilaration pumping into his little veins.

Stores began to visualize as he walked…a pharmacy, a Laundromat, and fast food restaurants.

Soon he was inside the comfy town. He passed gross white apartments, and then a giant line of blue linked houses. A pharmacy. A cute pink food market.

He wasn't planning to stop at the church. He hadn't actually known where he was going to stop; he just knew he needed help.

It was the church's stained glass windows that caught his eye. Beautiful, broken up pictures that depicted Jesus and Mother Mary. The colors of green, red, blue and pink dazzled him. He exhaled in wonderment. The white cross that he had seen from so far away was on top of the roof. His Grandpapa Roma had always taken them to church, and the people were always so nice.

He walked slowly up the church steps. He softly knocked on the white, wooden door. He was scared that nobody would answer. He was also scared that somebody would.

He felt like an adult, and he felt worried. He had never felt lonelier than he did in those ten seconds. He cried.

The door opened, and someone bent down. "Dearie, what's wrong? Where are your parents?"

Lovino gagged on his words. He looked at the woman. He was happy that she was woman; women are usually not dangerous.

"My grandpapa is gone. Let us in? We can't go back to our town. Let us in, please?"

The women didn't answer at first; she just exhaled in a hushed, concerned tone. Then she outstretched her arms to hold Feliciano for him. Her green eyes were warm and genuine. "Come on, you must be exhausted."

His back travailed to keep straight, the pressure became more agonizing by the second. He considered the astounding relief he'd feel.

"He's not heavy."


	2. Spring

"It's beautiful outside, brother!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Lovino grumped. It _was_ a beautiful spring morning outside. The blithe green hills from the outskirts of town were grassy and bright. The leaves on the trees were green and pink and full of life.

But he had seen beautiful spring mornings before, and now he needed to finish his chores. Lovino hated chores more than Feliciano, but he knew that if they weren't done that Elizabeth would lose it.

He walked down the red carpet, up the steps, and dusted the church podium.

"Come on, brother!" Feliciano whined. He stood in front of Lovino wearing a white turtleneck and tight khaki pants.

Lovino snorted. "You look gay."

"I am gay."

He violently snapped his hands to his side. "Don't say that!" Instinctual panic hooked onto his brain.  
"Do you want to get kicked out of here, dumb ass?"

Feliciano smiled and cooed, "Lovi, nobody can hear me! Anyway, I'm sure Elizabeth wouldn't care that much."

He looked at the altar before him; the huge golden crucifix reassured him of where he was. And his position here.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach he continued to dust. "It's not Elizabeth you have to worry about…"

Father Braginski would probably kick them out. It was already charity that he had taken them into his church, and even though the scary gentlemen had a soft spot, Lovino was sure that he wouldn't tolerate two homosexuals under his roof.

"Come on, Elizabeth gave me _ten _dollars," Feliciano said softly. "Why don't we get some biscotti and coffee?"

Lovino knew the boys should've saved up the money and bought something useful, like a book, but his mouth still watered at the prospect.

"I have to work, idiot!" He shouted. "Bring me some back."

….

…

…..

"You're such a fucking retard!" Lovino spat. "I'm related to an idiot! A worthless, dumb little boy!"

Feliciano could swear he felt his brother's harsh words physically push him.

Lovino circled him in the street. He had half the mind to beat Feliciano; he was sure the kid deserved a good punishment. Feliciano was lucky he had those sweet amber eyes to remind him of his harmlessness.

"I'm sorry, brother! I'm truly, truly, sorry!"

"You should have thought!" He shouted. He didn't want his brother close to him. He couldn't stand Feliciano's sickening sweet smell now. "How could you do this? How could you've been so stupid?"

"I didn't think Father was home."  
"You brought a _boy _into the church!" The feverish scream pierced through Feliciano's skull. "Do you really think they'll take in teenagers at the foster home? And do you want to go to the foster home? Do you remember what they do to kids at the foster home? Do you remember what they did? _Do you?" _

Feliciano was crying.

Lovino's heart suffered an internal blow, and then squeezed as hard as it could

"You've…._ really _disappointed me."

…

….

…

…..

Lovino and Feliciano walked down the roads. Lovino hadn't been in this situation in six years and it brought him unexplainable shame. He never wanted this again. He had tried so hard for this never to happen again. He just wanted a comfortable place to live and raise his little brother. It made him want to claw off his own skin that it had all been caused by incautiousness and stupidity. He rubbed and rubbed his arm.

Bad luck, almost.

He wanted to bang his fist into the ground, or into Feliciano's thick head. All he yearned for was a suitable life for them, and the airhead had thrown it all away with his "_boyfriend." A thirteen year old with a boyfriend. _

He rubbed his arm until it turned red and burned.

_That kid was too young for a boyfriend in Lovino's eyes anyway. _

Elizabeth managed to give them eight hundred dollars and an address to a place that would let the minors stay.

She told them in hurried words to never get stuck.


	3. Dead Flowers

The building was nameless, the street was empty, and the daffodils were dead.

Lovino wasn't too sensitive to death like Feliciano, but he couldn't help but get uncomfortable chills. It was strange that the whole field would be dead in spring.

The building was anesthetized. He had never seen anything so cold. The hope of being a happy family deteriorated through the cracks of the brick apartment complex. A tall metal fence surrounded the ugly building. It only entailed that crime was an issue in the town.

He grinded his teeth and hissed at his brother. He hadn't felt so much ire before. It was towards his only living kin too.

The inside had peach carpeting and chestnut wallpaper.

The fat lady behind the desk was truly an unsettling sight. Her brown hair was in an unkempt braid, pursed lips and crooked teeth. "Want a room?"

"Yeah…this ain't a hotel, is it?"

She pulled out a clipboard and dully stared at him. "It's whatever. You live in it."

"Oh…" he mumbled. His patience was wearing thin. "How much…"

"Four hundred and ten a month," she snorted in her mucus, making Lovino cringe, "Utilities included."

That was fantastic news, but he couldn't put any effort into feeling happy.

"Don't use lots of hot water, though. Monty gets angry if you do that. And lights out at nine."

Lovino frowned. "Lights out?"

Feliciano and Lovino exchanged discomposed glances. Lovino imagined this Monty guy as a warden. He remembered the fence outside and shook his head in frustration.

"Yessiree. We paying for it, we got to keep our finances in check. But its comfy here, innit? We're not too unjust, though, Guido."

Lovino felt his blood simmer within him. "Yeah, can we just get our room?"

She didn't ask for an I.D, just upfront cash.

Room 102.

The room wasn't too hideous, but Lovino scowled at Feliciano as he walked by. They went from a mesmeric white church to a crepuscular-lighted apartment. The dark shades of purple, black and orange reminded him of a twilight sky. It didn't settle him. He wouldn't be content for a long, long time.

Feliciano walked into the kitchen area; which was about hundred square feet and a boring brown. Feliciano sat on the counter. His blank stare was filled with overcast, instead his usual vernal gaze.

It felt like anger and sadness were two fat people dragging their feet through him.

He was sad for his small family, he was angry for his small family.

"I'm going to get a job."

"Oh." His brother responded slowly, softly, "Should I too?"

Lovino's frown deepened. A job would show his brother responsibility, but he doubted that the young boy could handle it and school.

"Maybe. If we need it. You should just focus on your studies for now."

"Will…you be quitting school?"

He clutched his beige duffle coat. "If my hours are crazy I could always home school…"

Feliciano's guilt briefly disappeared and he smiled hugely. "That's great! You're so smart for thinking of that!"

He couldn't smile at his brother's stupidly positive words.

This isn't the way his brother should live. Barely scarping by. Helplessness and poverty. It made him want to throw the dishes. He clenched his fist.

"We've got to go out and buy some blankets and pillows. We can buy a mattress tomorrow. Maybe some other things."

"Food, eh?"

"No fucking shit."

"Spaghetti for tonight?"

"You know what, Feli?" Lovino grumbled, heading for the door. "We're lucking we're Italian. Our diet is cheap as hell."

"Yeah," Feliciano smiled, "Pasta."


End file.
